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Monday, 11 July 2011

Meat .... and lots of it!

First of all I have not updated for AGES! Actually, I have not even updated since I moved back to Australia from England.

I don't know why I haven't updated, but today I finally got the motivation to write a new post because I got something wonderful and glorious in the mail today and as the title says, it involves meat and lots of it!

I have wanted it ever since the lovely BF took me to Paris earlier this year when we were still living in the UK. We were wandering around the beautiful streets of Paris & in one of the many old book shops, I found a book all about meat. I flicked through it and saw a recipe for 'Lamburgers' and for 5 euros thought it was a bargain.

Admittedly I was quite flustered from walking hours on end around the gorgeous city and like the difficult child I am when I get flustered, refused this amazing book when my lovely boyfriend offered to get it for me.

I had all afternoon and night to think about this book and by the next morning I desperately wanted it again, so off we trudged to go get it.

We got there and the shop was closed for the next two days and we were flying back to the UK the day before it would open back up again.

Anyway, I've always known how much my boyfriend loves me, but for him to put up with my tantrum about being flustered the first day we found it, catch the metro 25 minutes the next day to go and get it again, comfort me when I was sulking about the book store being closed, then search the internet when we got home to find this mysterious 'meatbook' which I had somehow forgot the full name of, find it on Ebay in America, then pay quadriple the original amount we saw the book for in Paris.... Now that is what I call love and tolerance and the whole ordeal has made me appreciate and love the book even more (And him of course!!).

So if you are reading this my lovely BF, Thank you so much for your love and for my beloved meat book!

Enough stories now. I will reveal my Family Circle, Meat Cookbook from 1954!

I have not given it a proper read yet, just a flick through as I only got it in the post a couple hours ago. But I have taken some photos to show you a little of its glorious self!

Inside the cover is a little 'How to' on carving different meats that include Porterhouse Steak, Rolled Rip Roast, Leg of Ham, Crown Roast of Lamb, Pork Loin, Tongue and Ham.

I'll throw in a sentence or two from the Leg of Lamb.

"Place with shank end to right of carver and thick, meaty portion on far side of platter; Cut a few slices from thin side; Turn roast so it rests on cut surface; Slice down to bone following diagram above; Cut parallel to bone and release slices."

So there you go, now you know how to carve a leg of lamb! If only I actually ate lamb, that may help a little.

Above is the inside of the book just to show you how funky the pictures are inside. The floral pattern is quite intriguing, but I can't help but wonder if they actually found these food pictures appealing in the 1950's!?

I am in two minds about it really... one part of my brain is telling me I'd run a mile if anyone served me up something that look like those three assembles above, but the other part of my brain is feeding me the whole 'don't judge a book by its cover' line. Hmmm..... What do you think?

If you have ever wondered what herbs and spices will go with the meat you are cooking, you are in luck. Just look above to find the perfect match.

The book comes with a complete diagram of the different cuts of beef, veal, lamb and mutton and pork.